The term "Combined Arms" is used incorrectly in PC. "Combined arms refers to a balanced force of shock units, infantry, and artillery. Infantry units are given a very great strength advantage over tanks in PC. The justification is vague. There is no use speculating upon the origin of the thinking behind the "Combined Arms" rule because the printed evidence suggests a puerile mind.

The facts are as follows: the U.S. Bazooka (available to Russia c. late 1942) and the German Panzerfaust (available c. late 1942) transformed the relationship between tanks and infantry. These were effrective, man-portable, anti-tank weapons. They had a very short range, and they were effective when they were used by soldiers in cover. The latter point must be emphasized because the PC rules do not reflect the historical capabilities of early infantry anti- tank weapons. The PC rules, in effect, convert these weapons into short-range (500 meter) anti- tank missles rather like the Soviet RPG-7's used by the Egyptians against the Israelis in the 1973 conflict. In PC infantry is able to attack tanks in open terrain and inflict terrible losses. The Bazooka and Panzerfaust simply did not have this capability. Infantry that elected to salvo tanks in the clear with these weapons would have been mowed down by the tank's machineguns long before they reached their effective range. These weapons were most effective at a range of half a (U.S.) Football field!

Contrary to PC, infantry had a conditional advantage when fighting tanks with Bazookas and Panzerfausts. These weapons were most effectively employed from cover.

Suggested rules changes for Panzer Command:

(1) Infantry and engineers in TOWNS, WOODS, ENTRENCHMENTS, IMPROVED POSITIONS and behind a CREST hexside defend against a tank only Close Assault with a "Combined Arms: Bonus."

(2) Infantry and engineers attempting a Close Assault against tanks in CLEAR terrain (any hex other than those listed in (1.) have their Attack Strengths halved (round down), and they do not receive the "Combined Arms" bonus.

(3) Infantry and engineers using Direct Fire against tanks or defending agasint a Close Assault by tanks in CLEAR terrain are subject to the modifications listed in (2).

(4) Infantry and engineers may retain their full Attack Strengths and receive the "Combined Arms" bonus if they and their tank target (which must be without infantry) are both in WOODS or TOWN hexes. The infantry and engineers may use Direct Fire or they may Close Assault without modification in the conditions described above.

(5) NOTE: ("real" combined arms) Infantry receives a Combined Arms bonus when stacked with an engineer unit during a Close Assault against enemy infantry. These rules should restore a sense of reality to PC. Players should bear in mind that Bazookas and Panzerfauste were not widely available during the game period (Russian infantry were still using anti-tank rifles during the 1943 Kursk battle). I strongly suggest that German and Russian players roll for each infantry unit in their forces to determine if they have these weapons (1-5 To Have, 6-10 and Have Not).

The origins of the thinking behind the infantry rules in PC are unclear. During World War Two infantry that was caught out in the open by tanks was dead. Players who doubt my assertion ought to buy a rigorously rational game like Tobruk and try to attack tanks with infantry in clear terrain. Add a few Bazookas to the counter mix and the results will be the same. Contrary to the PC rules, infantry generally avoided tanks. When tanks overran positions, infantry laid down in their fox-holes. When caught in the open, they died, or surrenndered, or both. Players who wish to convert PC into a fairly accurate tactical game may wish to employ the following rules.

Tanks encourage infantry to "lose interest" in The War, or The Panzeralpdrucken Rule: If an infantry or engineer unit without a friendly tank unit in the hex is subjected to a Close Assault in CLEAR terrain by a tank unit, the infantry or engineer unit becomes liable to the Panzeralpdrucken Rule (PAD). Before any combat ensues, the player controlling the infantry or engineer unit must follow this procedure. The player controlling the infantry or engineer units must perform the PAD roll. 1-2, the infantry or engineer unit elects to stand and fight; 3-10, the infantry unit "ceases to exist as a military formation", i.e., 1% of the men immediately expired due to massive coronaries; 28% of the men threw down their weapons and declared that their former enemies are now comrades in German, Russian, Albanian, Norwegian, French, Mongolian, Latvian, Spanish, or at least 100 languages of choice; 37% of the men broke the world's record for 100 meter sprints; 12% wept, cursed, threw-up, wet themselves; 21% switched sides with loud declarations while shooting their officers; and 1% shreiked divers nationalistic slogans, exhortations to their leader, obscure and dreadful curses, entreaties to their respective deity or yelled "I've got the Combined Arms bonus you lousy bastard", and, of course, these stalwart souls saved the day.

If the infantry or engineer unit does not rout, the owning player may defend against the Close Assault. If it routs, the opposing player will be obliged to Close Assault the unit following the Eastern Front tradition of No Quarter Given or Expected (cf. The denouement of Krosun, or Cherkassy Pocket in 1944).

For those of you who enjoy good "play" and do not give a damn about reality, I suggest the following rule:

INFANTERIESCHRECK (Or Dogfaceblitz)

Tanks in the charge radius of infantry must immediately undergo an

INFANTERIESCHRECK MORALE CHECK (INFANT). "Charge radius" is the two hexes around any infantry or engineer unit that the unit can reach when it moves. If an infantry or engineer unit moves close enough to an armored unit to put it in the charge rarius, or if the armored unit moves into the charge radius of an infantry or engineer unit, the armored unit mus IMMEDIATELY pass an INFANT. The INFANT is conducted in the same manner as a Troop Quality die roll. If the tank unit fails the INFANT roll, it must immediately Close Assault the nearest infantry or engineer unit (thereby guaranteeing its destruction).